106 replies to this topic

[EWW]

No clue about recipe or direction at this point, but summer fruits are on the way...ideas?

[MtnBrewer]

I'm actually planning to do a peach ginger melomel soon. I happen to have peaches in the freezer but I'm guessing nobody else is going to have any.

[EWW]

It is cherry season...

[EWW]

I've been seeing cherries at the local farmers market already - harvest typically starts around now for early cherries

[Genesee Ted]

I'm down.  I like the idea of a cherry mel.  They seem to come out very nicely.  

[MtnBrewer]

I got cherries too. I'm in if we can find a no-doubter recipe.

[Mya]

I've been seeing cherries at the local farmers market already - harvest typically starts around now for early cherries

that 80 degree period we had was a real boon to WA cherry crop I hear

[EWW]

Page 171 of Schramm's book has an interesting recipe for a cherry Riesling payment we could use as a starting point

[EWW]

Page 166 - mambo in your mouth could be another option

[Mya]

Page 171 of Schramm's book has an interesting recipe for a cherry Riesling payment we could use as a starting point

yellow pie cherries?

[positiveContact]

so how long will it be before you guys can compare notes on something like this?

[Genesee Ted]

Process wise, pretty quickly.  As far as the final product, I would say a few months all the way till it is gone, perhaps years later 

[MtnBrewer]

How about the Cherry Mel recipe on p. 165? He says it's very sweet (almost like a liqueur) but if you don't want it that sweet, we can dial it back some. Part of me thinks that the sweetness would work well against the tartness of the cherries. The cherry riesling pyment sounds good too.Other options:https://www.gotmead....59&recipe_id=17https://www.homebrew...22-09-a-102625/https://www.homebrew...melomel-339957/https://www.homebrew...eek-cherry-meadAnd of course...https://www.brews-br...ur-cherry-mead/

[EWW]

I'm partial to fruit in secondary vs. primary - if I'm going to pay for fruit I want it to shine in the recipe. I tend not to like the sweet Meads - semi sweet would be the farthest I'd like to go. What about a standard dry show mead to around 14% with local honey and a yeast like 71b. Mix of dried and frozen cherries in secondary (1-2 lbs per gallonish range) with vanilla beans and French oak?Not "proven" but easy to work with and adjust to final desired product as far as sweetness is concerned - I'd shoot for a final product around 1.010.

[MtnBrewer]

I don't think dry will work with fruit. It needs to be semi-sweet at least or else you don't get the full impact of the fruit. I like the idea of vanilla but I'm not so sure I want to oak it.My main concern with finding a proven recipe is that I don't want this to come out tasting like cough syrup.

[EWW]

This one of mine is proven. Doooo it!

How did this one age over time?

[MtnBrewer]

This one of mine is proven. Doooo it!

OK, I'm game. If you say it's good I trust you. One question, how would tart cherries change things vs. the dark cherries?

[MtnBrewer]

Might leave out the cinnamon since you couldn't taste it much anyway. I'd like to keep the vanilla though. I'll see if I can work up a spreadsheet.

[MtnBrewer]

I have some nibs...a few oz maybe. Enough? I have a recipe spreadsheet filled out but I can't attach it for some reason.

[EWW]

Would you up the vanilla at all or keep it where it's at?